Forwarding condition information from first processing circuitry to second processing circuitry

A data processing apparatus comprising:

• first processing means for executing program instructions and for maintaining a plurality of sets of condition information for indicating characteristics of the outcomes of the program instructions;
• second processing means, comprising a processing pipeline having a plurality of pipeline stage means for processing program instructions, for executing at least one conditional instruction having an outcome dependent on one of the plurality of sets of condition information maintained by the first processing means;
• first forwarding means for forwarding sets of condition information from the first processing means to a predetermined pipeline stage means of the processing pipeline of the second processing means;
• requesting means for transmitting a request signal from the second processing means to the first processing means, the request signal for indicating a requested set of condition information which was not yet valid when a conditional instruction dependent on the requested set of condition information was at the predetermined pipeline stage means;
• and
• second forwarding means for forwarding the requested set of condition information, wherein in response to the requested set of condition information becoming valid, the first processing means is configured to forward the requested set of condition information via the second forwarding means to a subsequent pipeline stage means of the processing pipeline of the second processing means.

A data processing method comprising:

• executing program instructions using first processing circuitry, the first processing circuitry maintaining a plurality of sets of condition information for indicating characteristics of the outcomes of the program instructions;
• executing at least one conditional instruction using second processing circuitry comprising a processing pipeline having a plurality of pipeline stages, the at least one conditional instruction having an outcome dependent on one of the plurality of sets of condition information maintained by the first processing circuitry;
• forwarding sets of condition information from the first processing circuitry via a first forwarding path to a predetermined pipeline stage of the processing pipeline of the second processing circuitry;
• transmitting a request signal from the second processing circuitry to the first processing circuitry, the request signal indicating a requested set of condition information which was not yet valid when a conditional instruction dependent on the requested set of condition information was at the predetermined pipeline stage;
• and
• in response to the requested set of condition information becoming valid, forwarding the requested set of condition information from the first processing circuitry via a second forwarding path to a subsequent pipeline stage of the processing pipeline of the second processing circuitry.